Rock Not, Live Not
by readysetsmile
Summary: (Rated to be safe...)Freddy goes missing- and someone in the band knows more about it than others think... COMPLETE! :)
1. The Last Sightings

Rock Not, Live Not  
  
Summary: Freddy goes missing- and someone in the band knows more than others think.  
  
((Okay- this is my first fan fic! Wish me luck! Leave me a review- criticism and all!))  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own anything/anyone/any part of this story.  
  
Chapter One: The Last Sightings  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Katie walked down the road with Freddy to their neighborhood as the sun began to set with a sorbet of colors.  
"I know you stole my muffin!" She screamed at Freddy, reminding him for the bizillionth time that he had eaten her huge, sixteenth-birthday, blueberry muffin, made especially for her by Marta.  
"I did not steal you muffin, Katie!" He yelled back, rolling his eyes and throwing his hands up innocently. "Besides, it was only a muffin..."  
"Aha!" She jumped and pointed at him. "So you admit to eating my muffin! I *knew* it!"  
Freddy rolled his head back in surrender. "Fine! I ate you Birthday Muffin! Are you happy now?! Will you shut up now?!"  
Katie just gave him a smug look before pouncing on him- sending him down onto the bottle green grass. How *dare* he eat my birthday muffin?! She thought as he tried to escape her... wrath?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Dude- I *need* my CD back so I can lend it to Summer!" Zach begged Freddy on the phone, while gazing up at posters of famous rockers that littered his walls. He and Summer had been going out for about four months now- and he had been wanting his CD back from Freddy for five.  
"But I'm not finished with it yet!" Freddy's voice exclaimed into the receiver. Zach sighed.  
"How long does it take for you to listen to a CD?!" Zach asked, amazed.  
"Pretty long, man, when you're trying to learn the drum solos from each song!"  
"Ugh! Freddy- if you don't give me that CD back by tomorrow I swear..."  
"You swear you'll what? Send your grumpy old man on me? Woo, I'm afraid now."  
Zach picked up the nearest text book- which he was supposed to be doing homework from- and whacked himself on the head lightly with it. Freddy was helpless. Even though the two were best friends, Freddy still took everything as a joke. He said "bye" quickly to Freddy and hung up. What else was there to do when your best friend became... a pest?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Ow... Freddy rubbed his arm. Katie had a good tackle, his arm was still hurting from when she had brought him to the ground.  
He sighed and looked around his room- digging through piles of clothes, "lost" homework, and all the other junk that most rooms gather up at some point or another; looking for Zach's CD. He had just been kidding, but Zach had hung up.  
"Man..." He grumbled. Thank the Lord tomorrow was Saturday- he needed to catch up on sleep. Gigs with the band took up more time than he thought.  
Swoosh... Whoa- Freddy did a double take, looking through the crack of his bedroom door. He could have sworn he had just heard someone outside in the hallway- but both of his parents were away on a business meeting.  
"Hello?" He called out, opening the door a bit more to look out in the hall. The house was quiet. Not the quiet kind of quiet that's there when you're all alone. No. It was the quiet that you know someone else is there, who is just trying to be quiet. An odd sense of tension lay suspended in the air. Freddy stepped out in the hall to investigate more. He turned to look down the left of the corridor where a shadow seemed oddly out of place.........  
"Ah, shit!" ~*~*~*~*~*~ ((Alrighty then, a new chapter will be coming soon! Let me know what you thought!)) 


	2. Something Doesn't Fit

((OMG- thank you so much for all the good reviews!! I feel so much more confident now that I'm not a horrible fan fic writer- unless everyone was just being nice, which is always an option... Thank you so much again! Okay- I'll shut up now and get on with the story...))  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing/anyone/anything/ any part of this story.  
  
Chapter Two: Something Doesn't Fit  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Do you ever get the feeling that something drastically horrible has just happened and there's absolutely no way to change it? And no matter how hard you try to tell yourself that it's all right and that you're just a worrywart, it doesn't seem to go away? That's the way Katie felt as she woke up startled in the middle of the night; panting like a dog.  
Whoa... she thought. What is wrong? She couldn't put her finger on it and that's what bugged her the most... There was only one way should could get this off her chest- talk to Freddy. He was her neighbor- and even though he was madly annoying at some- okay, most times, he still was a good listener as long as it wasn't about algebra or something. But that could wait until tomorrow. Right now, she needed some sleep...  
  
"Freddy!" Katie called through the hollow of his house- she had gotten in with the spare key that she knew was underneath the doormat. He wasn't that hard of a sleeper...  
"Freddy Jones!" She cried again. She sighed. He probably was listening to his head phones in his room... She clunked her way up the stairs and burst into Freddy's room.  
"Take off the music, you idi-" She stopped when she realized she was talking to no one except a pile of clothes and some other bits and bobs. That was when she noticed, to the left of the room. Barely visible on the soft, white carpet were footprints. Not just one pair either. Who would come to Freddy's late last night- especially when his parents weren't home? ~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Katie-calm down. I'm sure Freddy is just out somewhere." Zach tried to get Katie to relax, who was pacing around Dewey's living room frantically. He had to admit though, it was weird having Freddy go off without telling them...  
"Yeah, Katie. You know Freddy." Summer chirped up.  
"You guys weren't there. I called his Mom at his parents' hotel in Florida. She didn't know about anything. I called you guys- you don't know anything. Something just doesn't fit."  
"Something just doesn't fit... hey! That could be a new song! Something Doesn't Fit!" Dewey exclaimed, coming out of his curtain-encased back room, with his guitar around his neck, humming while chugging from an orange juice carton. Zack would have picked up his own and started to play too, if he and Summer weren't dealing with Katie.  
"Dewey- cut it out! I'm serious. This is serious."  
"Katie- did you try calling his cell phone?" Zach suggested. She shook her head in "no" and raced over to the phone, punching in numbers. Zach wondered why Katie was suddenly so upset about Freddy. They usually were always arguing over something or other, why would she be worried now?  
"I'm putting it on speaker so you can see for yourselves!" Katie called stubbornly.  
"Rrrrrring... rrrrrring... rrrrrring..."  
"Come on Freddy, pick of the damn phone..." Katie murmured, pacing in tighter circles now.  
"Click." "Hello?" a timid voice of the usually boisterous Freddy toned.  
"Freddy! Is that you! Where the hell are you?!" She stormed right away.  
"Katie! I can't talk! I can't- look, there's something I need to tell you... I- Holy crap!! Listen- I have to go! Be careful! Ahhhhhhhh!!!" "Click."  
Zach's mouth dropped to the floor. Summer's clipboard dropped to the floor. Dewey's orange juice carton dropped to the floor. Katie dropped to the floor.  
Zach was speechless. If what they were all thinking was true- after hearing a disgruntled, worried, being-found Freddy- then... then Freddy had been kidnapped!  
  
((Okay- so they found out what Freddy found out in the last chapter; that he got kidnapped. *coughcough* Not much new, but in the next chapter some... interrogation (?) will begin and things will be found out. As far as I know now. Please REVIEW!! I want/need all the writing help/advice I can get! Thanks!)) 


	3. Suspicions Arising

((Thanks for the tips and support you guys! Okay, I haven't exactly come up with an ending yet, I'm making it up as I go along- so this is going to be harder. I'll try to make my chapters longer, sorry- and if there are any grammatical mistakes- sorry. The best I can do is spell check... Oh, and thanks for pointing out that Zach is really Zack- oops... Thanks again!)) Disclaimer: How many times have I been through this?!? I own nothing/anyone/anything/ any part of this story! *sighs* Okay, I'm done now...  
  
Chapter 3: Suspicions Arising  
  
"Breath, Katie, breath!" Katie saw a blurry image of Summer leaning over her. "It was your birthday only two days ago, you can't die!" "Summer- she's awake." Zack pointed out blankly to his frantic girlfriend. Katie sat up as Summer jumped up and clapped her hands happily, hugging Zack as though he had predicted a miracle. "What happened?" Instantly, flooding back to her like a tidal wave, she remembered Freddy being missing! And then the phone call... and then she had... had she fainted? She shook her head. There was no time for that now. She had to find Freddy! "Oh my God, you guys! We need to find Freddy! Call the police- do something! I'll start looking downtown, Zack, you can-" Dewey interrupted her, "Hold up, there! We are not going to the fuzz unless we know for sure! Plus, I'm not exactly a favorite among the local authorities and I don't want them thinking I'm crazy or something... Anyways, we'll just have to check with the other band members first. There are almost twenty of us- someone has to know something! Once we check things out a bit more, then we'll get the police, cuppish?" Katie shrugged solemnly and nodded. Freddy had to be okay. He just had to! Someone in the band had to know more, they had to! She had a gut feeling... Someone in this band knows something- and I'm gonna find out... ~*~*~*~*~*~  
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!!! Zack pounded on the wooden door of Frankie. Katie had come up to him and Summer after they had left to Dewey's.  
"We need to talk to the other band members- now. I have a feeling that one of them knows something. Will you guys help me?" She had asked. Willing to help out Freddy, and Katie, of course they had volunteered to ask around. Now, here he was at Frankie's house- ready to get some dirt. He couldn't believe something like this would happen to Freddy! Who, what, when, where, why, and how? All of those questions needed to be solved- and he knew that Freddy's being depended on it.  
"Zack, man. What's up? I thought practice had been cancelled for today." Frankie chattered as he opened the door with a creak and let Zack inside.  
"Dude- Freddy's missing!" Zack replied before rattling off the story. By the end, Frankie's mouth had dropped three feet from his jaw.  
"No way! Freddy?!" He had exclaimed, sitting down on a couch.  
"Do you know anything by any chance?" Zack tried- though it was quite obvious Frankie had no clue. Or did he? Just for a split second Zack thought he saw something flitter over Frankie's eyes. Had that been guilt? Fear? Anger?  
"No, man. The last time I saw him he had been flirting with Eleni by his drums at practice. Then he had left to walk home with Katie. I never heard him mention anything about leaving or anything..." Frankie solemnly shook his head- which had turned a light shade of pink. Zack guessed because Frankie had had a crush on Eleni for forever- and everyone in the band knew about it- except her, of course. And maybe Freddy.  
So Freddy had been flirting with her... If mentioning it was enough to make Frankie blush, would living with it be enough to provoke Frankie to do something drastic? Zack's brow furrowed. Could Frankie have done something to Freddy? ~*~*~*~*~*~  
"You guys find anything out?" Katie asked nervously as the three met up at the driveway of Freddy's deserted house- as Katie had told them to before.  
"Not exactly. Michelle wasn't home- so I went to Eleni's house. She said that she didn't know anything. I made a list of our band- so we can take notes and stuff. Does anyone else feel like a detective or something?" Summer bustled, taking out her clipboard. Katie could see Zack smile and put his arm around Summer.  
"Yeah- but I bet you're the best detective of them all." He grinned. Katie sighed.  
"Could you two please cut the girlfriend/boyfriend thing out until we find Freddy?!" She cried, pacing around. Instantly, the two others blushed and stepped away from each other.  
"Sorry." Zack and Summer mumbled together.  
"Okay- so there's nothing from Eleni that we know of. Michelle could still be a... suspect? She wasn't home. I checked out Leonard- he seemed pretty innocent. He had been out all last night and this morning with his parents out of town- and I know he's telling the truth because his parents were unpacking suitcases and junk. What about you, Zack?" Katie explained as Summer zipped across her clipboard with her pencil.  
"I went to Frankie's. He said he didn't know anything- but he did get kind of tense when he mentioned that he last saw Freddy flirting with Eleni. I dunno if that means anything, but that's all I got." He shrugged. Katie smiled. Finally! Something of a lead!  
Whoa there, she told herself. You are acting like Miss Police Sergeant! Would anyone in the band really kidnap Freddy? You're acting like the world is ending and only you can stop it. Why?  
She had no answer. Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Zack looking off dazed behind her shoulder. She followed his gaze, where she saw a tattered piece of cloth caught on a branch of a huge weeping cherry tree- that Freddy often used to climb on to escape from his room.  
She immediately walked over to it, with Zack and Summer following.  
"What is it?" Summer asked, confused.  
"That, my friend, is a thing called evidence." ((I'll be updating as soon as I can- review, review, review- please! ()) 


	4. Beyond Desperate

((Thanks for all of the reviews and advice- again!! It's all so helpful! Thanks! This chapter is kind of short because it's from Freddy's point of view and I don't want to give too much stuff away, so sorry...)) Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything/any part of this story.  
  
Chapter 4: Beyond Desperate  
  
Freddy Jones was going insane. Sure, the small little room he was being held in was pretty cozy- it had a cot, a sink, and a little bathroom was connected to the room. Unfortunately, it had no windows. But it was also filled to the brim with large brown boxes, none of which he could open.  
Being cooped up for so long- how long had it been again? Being cooped up for so long without the satisfaction of accomplishing anything (like opening the boxes) was just plain annoying.  
Here he lay on the springy cot staring at the steps which lead to a door- which was firmly locked from the outside (he had tried many times to open without success). For a while he had been wondering what was in the boxes- they were too heavy to pick up. But not now. Now he was thinking about the band.  
Would they even care if he was missing without telling them?  
Duh, he answered himself. A frantic Katie had already called his cell phone- getting it taken away from him; not that he had even remembered he had his phone until it had rung. That had to say something.  
Katie... Freddy's mind drifted to her big, brown eyes and dark brown hair. The last time he had seen her they had argued about a muffin... this seemed to be extremely funny to him and he began laughing out loud.  
He had forgotten to give her a birthday present and then he went and ate her muffin! He chuckled some more. It was weird how even the most un- funny things could cheer you up when you were bored to death. It was amazing how much he missed her...  
Whoa. Where had that come from? Katie and he had always been close... in a strange, arguey kind of way. Why was it that now when he had nothing else to do he thought about her in a way that almost tricked his mind into thinking he liked her... did he like her?  
He shook his head quickly. No. He was alone- bored- but surprisingly he wasn't scared. There was nothing to be scared of really. No, he didn't like Katie. He was just beyond desperate- and a familiar face, even in his mind, made some thoughts all the more welcome...  
  
((I'm sorry! I had to have some Freddy/Katie thing in here, I just had to! So this chapter was a bit boring, yes, but it gives you an idea of where Freddy stands at this point. Don't worry; the next chapter should be better... please review!)) 


	5. One by One

((Thanks for reviewing everyone! Really! It means a whole lot to me when people like my story... Thanks for bringing up the fact about my spacing- I'm sorry bout that. I upload my fic as a document- I think that may deal with the problem- and when I check my original it is fine, but who knows how it comes out... I'll try to fix that, but if it doesn't work, I'm sorry! Well, thanks again!)) Disclaimer: I do not own anyone/anything/any part of this story.  
  
Chapter Five: One by One  
  
Freddy's house seemed eerily silent without him in it. It was a big house, and that just added to the emptiness. It had also begun to slightly drizzle outside, causing the patter to echo through the shadows. Zack couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to know that his best friend could be dying somewhere out there and here he was; playing detective with Katie and Summer.  
Here he was; looking for more, as Katie called it, "evidence". And all they had to go on was a piece of shiny, blue cloth...  
"There were pairs of footprints up there- I'll check them out as well as the rest of the upstairs." Katie called as she made her way up the stairs.  
"Shall we check it out down here?" Summer offered with a nervous smile. Zack sighed and nodded.  
Nothing in the kitchen. Nothing in the dining room. Or living room. Or office. Or anywhere for that matter.  
"This is pointless! Let's just go to the police! This is getting pathetic!" Summer cried, falling to her knees at the bottom of the stairs.  
"No! We've already started! We've got a good lead! I'm not giving up on Freddy this soon!" Came Katie's forceful answer from above. Zack sat down next to Summer as Katie joined them; a determined glint to her big, brown eyes. As much as he wanted to call the police like Summer suggested, he knew Katie was right. They couldn't give up on their best friend after only investigating a few hours. It was only twelve in the afternoon. They had to find something out. They would.  
"What lead, Katie? We still have a billion more people to check out! All we have is a piece of cloth and shoe-prints!" Summer complained.  
"Summer- Katie's right. We have to keep trying..." Zack told his girlfriend, picking up her hands in his own. She looked into his eyes and nodded.  
"Let's go interview- make sure you remember what the cloth looks like. If anything like that shows up in anyone's house- well... look for Freddy." Summer suggested with a shaky sigh. And with that, they headed off once more...  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Katie had stolen Summer's clipboard. Well, not stolen it exactly. Summer had given it up to her... incredibly reluctantly. But now she had all of the evidence and notes logged down. Now Katie finally felt like she would get a good grip on everything. She was off to interrogate Marco.  
Katie didn't care if Zack and Summer thought she was going over the edge with this all! Even she could admit that she was, she didn't care! Freddy needed her. Whoa... correction. Freddy needed them. And she was the only one whose heart was fully into it.  
She didn't care how absurd it sounded that someone from the band had kidnapped- or at least had something to do with the kidnapping of- Freddy. One by one she'd find out more from them. She knew someone knew something. And she would go to all ends of the earth to prove it.  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Operation: Find Freddy Michelle- Not home ~ Later~ Innocent as far as we know- possibly mad for water gun incident... Eleni- Innocent as far as we know Leonard- Has alibi- was away at time(s) of kidnapping/gone missing Frankie- Innocent as far as we know- possibly mad for flirting? Tomika- Has alibi- is gone for week Marta- Not home Alicia- Not home Gordon- Not home Marco- Innocent as far as we know- possibly mad for picking-on Billy- Not home Freddy- Extra-obviously innocent Zack- Obviously Innocent Summer- Obviously innocent Katie- Obviously innocent Dewey- Obviously innocent  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Face it, Katie," Summer began as they finished noting everything on the clipboard. The three had just spent the past 3 and a half hours talking to the others of the band. "We've gotten nowhere. We still have 6 or 7 people who could have possibly lied to us- which I don't even see why anyone in their right mind would want to kidnap Freddy Jones!"  
"I know! We can't give up though, you guys! How about if we don't find out anything by seven tonight, we go to the police, okay?" Katie compromised. Zack could see she was trying so hard to figure this out. But even he could see that this was pointless. Here they were, in front of Freddy's yard- again. Only now it was two forty in the afternoon.  
"Ugh... Ka-tie!! What more do you want us to do?! Go to the band's fan club and see if they kidnapped him?!" Zack exclaimed, exasperated. Katie's eyes lit up. Summer hit her forehead with her hand, rolling her eyes. "Why did you give her that idea, Zack?!" "Sorry..." He mumbled. "Okay- our fans can be pretty vicious. I'll go in around the front- you two come in from the sides! From there we'll-"  
"You can not be serious, Katie!" Summer moaned as Katie pep-talked on. Zack knew how Summer felt. He wanted to find Freddy- more than anything right now- but Katie was beginning to get a bit... obsessive over this. You can only go so far until you know you have to quit. They had crossed that line hours ago. But Katie was still going.  
Let her have her fun, Zack thought. No- if you don't go to the police soon, something might happen! His mind was divided in half- arguing all the while. Okay... he decided. Until seven o'clock. And until then he'd have to pray that nothing happened to his best friend... 


	6. The Madness That is Fan Clubs

((Thanks for all of the reviewing you guys! I'm trying my best to update! I can't wait to finish this one- I probably will finish it around eight or nine chapters (total) - it all depends. This chapter is gonna be a bit short, sorry. Well, keep reviewing!!)) Disclaimer: Oops. I forgot to put a disclaimer in the last few... oh well... I do not own anything/anyone/any part of this story (except for Hilda...)  
  
Chapter Six: The Madness that is Fan Clubs  
  
Katie had lead them to the small, Colonial home that had been used as the School of Rock Fan Club Meeting Place since... well, she didn't know. Ever since there was a School of Rock Fan Club. As far as she knew, the Fan Club Leader, a twenty year old named Hilda who still lived with her Mom, was almost always present there.  
"Okay, you guys. No stopping. We're here only for Freddy. No autographs, pictures, or anything. Now, follow the plan. Our goal is to get to Hilda without having all of our clothes ripped off, okay?" Katie prepped them again. Zack and Summer nodded. Katie smiled. It was so great to have friends that stuck by your side even when you started going insane...  
Summer walked up to the front, while Zack circled around to the back door. Katie, herself, went around the opposite side as Zack but also to the back door. As members of the band itself, they had each been given a key. Summer would go in from the front- to keep the crowd distracted while Zack and Katie snuck in from the back. Because they were part of the band part of the band, it was always harder to deal with crazed fans than it was for the manager.  
Katie's feet padded on the soft grass as she ducked beneath a window and crept like a fox to the back. She saw Zack there and she gave him the "okay" sign. Just as they slunk to the back door- Zack was ready to turn his key- it opened.  
"Oh my Gosh! Zack! Katie! So great to have you two drop by- you rarely do! Can you pose for a picture?!" Hilda- with her brown hair with purple streaks and bright green eyes- clapped excitedly. Darn, thought Katie. We had almost gotten in the old fashioned way!  
"No. Listen, Hilda. We need to talk. Away from the other members..." Zack muttered.  
"Ooh! Okay! Come on in- but stay low. The others are talking to Summer- you wouldn't want them to come after you now, too!" Hilda squealed, leading them through halls filled with pictures of their band on stage, together, and everywhere else. Katie squirmed... this place was creepy... Hilda led them into a small, crammed room, filled with even more 'memorabilia' of the band... Gosh, she thought. Almost makes us sound like we're extinct...  
A thought came to her mind. We might not be extinct, but Freddy may soon be... ~*~*~*~*~*~  
'Let's get out of here, NOW!' he felt like screaming to Katie, as they sat down across from Hilda at her desk.  
"So... are you two planning on an appearance? Autograph signing? What's the deal?" She asked in a too-cheery voice.  
"Uh... well, actually, we uh..." Zack began. He was getting distracted from all of the band-related items in the room. Whoa! A picture of him kissing Alicia on the cheek after they won their first Battle of the Bands performance! How had these stalkers taken that?!  
"It's about Freddy- our drummer. He's not here, is he?" Katie finished for him, thank the Lord...  
"No! Is he?! Ohmigosh! Is he?!" She squealed, making him and Katie push their chairs back a bit.  
"That's what we were asking you, Hilda. See... you kind of always know where we are..." Zack shuddered out. "And we were thinking that maybe you knew where Freddy was?"  
Hilda bit her lip before ducking down and pulling up a thick, manila folder labeled "FREDDY" in girly, pink writing.  
"This is a record of all Freddy Sightings in the last month." She told them with a smile. Zack met Katie's eyes- which showed disgust and fear. She got his message of "God, these people are nutcases, aren't they?" and nodded in reply.  
As Hilda leafed through the papers, Zack watched.  
"Let's see... the last time any of us saw Freddy... he was eating a blueberry muffin during a rehearsal break of yours!" She chimed.  
"I knew it!" Katie gasped with a satisfied gleam. Zack looked at her, puzzled.  
"Darn. Well, we have to head out, don't we Zack?" Katie said, getting up quickly, grabbing Zack by the arm.  
"Um... yeah. Well, thanks anyway! Wait- you don't have folders like that on all of us, do you?!" He cried as Katie dragged him out of the room, slamming the door shut and running through the hallway back outside.  
"Okay. Let's go rescue Summer from that freak show!" Katie ordered, releasing him.  
"Yes! Please- let's do!" He exclaimed as they jogged around to the front again. He shuddered once more. "That was the second most creepy time of my life!"  
"Second most? What was the first?" Katie inquired.  
"Watching Billy stare at me and lick his lips..." Zack admitted.  
"Ugh! Too much information, there! Summer-"She called, but was interrupted as Tinkerbelle ran out of the building herself.  
"No time! Run!" She cried. Zack glanced up before turning around after Summer. A horde of girls was screaming and chasing them.  
"Ah!" He gasped. Running... down the street, behind an alley, down another street, WHOOSH- a car, gasping for air, footsteps echoing through another alley, scrambling, and phew! Finally! Looking from the branch he was sitting upon, he looked at Katie and Summer, who were both panting, with a wild eye.  
"Okay. Note to self- NEVER let that happen again!" He exclaimed angrily, hopping down out of the tree and helping Summer and Katie do the same.  
"Ugh... did you guys find out anything?" Summer asked.  
"Other than the fact that we have personal stalkers, no. Hey... wait a minute. I know where we are." Katie pointed to two a row of similar, plain houses across the street from where their getaway tree was standing.  
"Huh?" Zack asked.  
"Aren't those two houses Billy's and Marta's?" Katie began to wander across, a dazed look in her eye.  
"Yeah... so?" Summer looked around dumbfounded. Zack could relate to the feeling. What was she getting that they weren't?  
"Those houses have lights on; and they weren't home earlier. Let's go!" 


	7. Edge of Insanity

((Okay- my goal is to have this finished by tomorrow (possibly tonight?)! YAY! Okay- prepare yourself for a cheesy ending. I just couldn't hurt Freddy too much, so it's gonna end up a really lame ending, just to warn you... Thanks for all of my reviewers- you all help me out so much! Well, here's the 2nd-last chapter- it's a bit short, but that's okay! Review, please!!!))  
  
Chapter Seven: Edge of Insanity  
  
"Come on you guys- to Billy's we go!" Katie exclaimed, dashing through the yards. She, Zack, and Summer had just interviewed and searched Marta. She was clean. Now, please let Billy know something! It's 6:30! If they don't find out more about Freddy, then she would have failed! Katie couldn't let herself fail. She couldn't let herself fail Freddy!  
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! She pounded on the door.  
"Katie- slow down!" Summer cried.  
"Yeah- wait up!" Zack called.  
She had had it! She wasn't going to wait any more! She was going to find Freddy NOW! The door slowly peaked open, revealing a timid Billy.  
"Katie?!" He exclaimed, opening the door wider. She could pick something up in the air- and what was that look in his eyes? What was going on behind those two eyes? Fear? Guilt? Insanity?!  
"Do you know where Freddy is?!" She stormed, pushing her way in even with being held back by Summer and Zack.  
"Uh, no, Katie. Why?" Fancypants gave a nervous laugh.  
"Wrong answer, you liar!" She yelled.  
"Katie- chill! Let's talk to him like sensible people- not like bestial creatures!" Summer begged.  
"Cut the huge vocabulary act and search the place! He knows where Freddy is! I KNOW it!" Katie pointed at Billy, who was now cowering back into a stairway.  
"Katie... breath. Now. I know you're stressed- we all are. Don't take it out on Billy because we can't find Freddy!" Zack barked at her. She gritted her teeth.  
"Fine. You do the asking, then." She growled. How could they be stopping her like this?! They knew he was guilty! Why wouldn't they believe her?! Look at him cower like that! Of course he has Freddy! The tacky monster had probably has him mutilated in dress clothes!  
She did as Zack told her and took a deep, long breath. Instantly, everything washed away. The only monster she saw before everyone was herself... Katie, she told herself, you are pushing yourself over the edge of insanity. And over what? Freddy Jones- who ate your birthday muffin? She had done all she could for him. Now she should just calm down and maybe... maybe she should just give up... ~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Sorry Billy..." Zack could hear Katie murmur after she had turned a deep shade of dark red.  
"That's okay. Us designers are, uh, just very sensitive..." Billy peeped out.  
"Sorry, Billy. Listen- Freddy is missing. We're getting really worried about him. When was the last time you saw Freddy?"  
"Um... I think it was when I was trying to get him to try on one of my outfits. It was this really cute leather-"Billy was interrupted by Summer.  
"So you were trying to get him to wear your outfit. Go on..." She pried. Zack looked at his girlfriend. He could tell she was about to bust- this whole Katie Going Berserk thing was getting to her. This whole Freddy Going Missing Thing was getting to her. It was getting to him, too.  
"Well, as usual, he refused. So I let him be as he ate his muffin and went to leaf through my latest issue of Fashion Weekly. That's it." Billy shrugged.  
"That's it?" Zack asked bleakly. Billy nodded innocently. "Okay, well, thanks..."  
Just as he, Summer, and Katie were going to leave, he heard something.  
Thump, thump, thump! It was coming from the floor... What was that? There! Again! Thump, thump, thump!  
"Uh... Billy? What's that?" Summer squeaked out, hopping over to Zack and grabbing on to his arm.  
"Oh, it's nothing. Probably something in the basement..." He blushed. Thump, thump, thump!  
"Really? Well, why don't we go check it out- I'm sure we'd *all* like to know what it is." Katie suggested, getting that crazed look in her eyes. Not again, he thought! Zack put his arm around Summer, to let her know he was there for her.  
"That's okay- really. Why don't you guys head off now?" Billy suggested nervously. Thump, thump, thump!  
"No- we'll come check with you. Just in case." Zack could feel an eerie shadow fall over the room. Maybe Katie was right. Maybe something *was* wrong...!  
"Erm... okay... let's go down the stairs..." He lead the group far down the hallway to a stairwell. Thump, thump, thump! It was louder now!  
Billy scurried to the front, pulled out a key, twisted the door open, and peeked in.  
"Nope! Nothing there! Well, it was really great seeing you guys!" Billy laughed. Zack could tell that he was getting worried now. That's it.  
"Billy- move aside from the door or I will punch your lights out." He threatened. He hated being forceful and mean, but when it came to his best friend's possible safety, well, he was not gonna risk it now...  
He pushed the boy aside and swung the door open. Instantly, a silhouette came out, shaking its spiky head.  
There, standing in front of them was Freddy. His eyes were rimmed with dark circles.  
He croaked out, "Damn! I thought you guys would NEVER find me!" 


	8. Piecing it all Together

((WOO-HOO!! The last chapter! Everything will make sense after this- I'm telling you! =Sorry once again if it's a short, cheesy ending...= Anyways- I've enjoyed writing this fic SOO much- thanks to everyone who reviewed and helped me out. *tears in eyes* I'm gonna miss writing this one...)) Disclaimer: *sighs* This is my disclaimer for this story... I do not own anything/anyone/ any part of this story...  
  
Chapter Eight: Piecing it all Together  
  
"Freddy! Oh my God, Billy! I will kill you- I swear I will kill you!" Katie stormed. Billy? Why of all people Billy? Poor Freddy... Oh my God, she would kill Billy!  
Well... she would, if Freddy and Zack weren't holding her back.  
"I can explain!" Billy squealed, beginning to scramble up the stairs.  
"Hold up! You had better explain- you little..." Zack stormed. Summer was still frozen at the bottom of the stairwell- dumbstruck. Freddy was looking around, confused.  
"Um, you guys?" Freddy asked timidly as Billy's eyes widened.  
"Not now, Freddy! We are gonna kick Billy's ass after he kidnapped you like that!" Katie raged. Ooh, let me go, now! She felt like screaming at Freddy and Zack.  
"No... that's exactly what I mean by now. What do you mean Billy kidnapped me?" Freddy asked. Katie's mouth dropped. What did Freddy mean by that?! Oh my God- Billy did NOT brainwash Freddy! Did he?  
"What?!" Summer and Zack asked aloud at the same time.  
"Please don't hurt me..." Billy begged, cringing.  
"Explain yourself for him, Jones!" Summer demanded.  
"Well... I came home last night after getting beat by Katie. Then I talked to Zack on the phone. When I was looking for his CD I saw Billy in my house- with the scariest outfit I ever saw! Because I wouldn't try on his outfit earlier, he came to me demanding me that I do so. Well... I felt kind of guilty, so really early this morning I came over to his house so I could try it on- even though I got, like, zero sleep last night.  
"Anyways, I went down in the basement there and he locked me down there all day- until I tried on every single one of the outfits that I never would try on before. Then, he had to... uh... what's the word? Taylor! Yeah- that's it! He had to tailor them so they would fit. I was stuck down there all... day! I was so bored- I'm telling you! And those outfits! Ugh! No offense Billy, but if Dewey really liked your outfits, we would already be wearing them at performances." Freddy explained. Katie's heart stopped. All of this... for nothing. She had been going insane all day... for a fashion thing?  
"But- but... the phone call! And Billy! He locked you in! Isn't that the least bit like kidnapping you?!" Katie gasped.  
Freddy just shrugged, "I dunno. I had felt pretty bad about ignoring and making fun of him all these years... On the phone call he had just showed me one of his... creations and I kind of freaked and he took the phone."  
"Hey! I'm right here!" Billy exclaimed- stepping up a bit more. Katie could not believe this. She could not believe this.  
~*~*~*~*~*~ "You know..." Summer began tentatively, "I think we all learned something from this. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge or band. Or our fan club. Well... that's besides the point, but I think that we should all put a little more trust in each other next time something like this happens... but it won't! It won't!"  
"Summer- uh, we get it." Zack told her, blushing. Summer did the same and looked at the ground. Zack was still confused. Relieved. Confused. Tired. Disappointed. That whole day had been a waste. A fun, exciting waste, he would admit- but it had been a waste. He felt like collapsing then and there.  
"Sorry you guys... it won't happen again. Honest." Billy told them awkwardly.  
"It had better not." Freddy growled. "I was bored to death in there! I'm hungry!"  
"What? I gave you the whole refrigerator practically!" Billy cried.  
Freddy shrugged again, "Sorry to get everyone all worried over nothing."  
"Please- just. Don't. Talk about it. Please." Zack informed as the group slowly began to walk up the stairs. Katie was still in a 'frozen' mode. Uh-oh... Zack thought as he put his arm back around Summer and sighed.  
"Well... um... bye, guys. I'll call Dewey?" Billy offered.  
Summer nodded. When Zack, Katie, Summer, and Freddy finally got outside, Katie tackled Freddy to the ground with a thump.  
"Frederick Jones!! Don't you EVER- EVVER- scare me like that AGAIN! EVER!! Or instead of kidnapping you- I will KILL you- do you understand?!?" Katie screamed into his face. Zack smiled. He had thought that would happen...  
"Should we stop her now...?" Summer asked, looking up at him.  
He pretended to think about it. "Um... NO!" The two laughed as Katie yelled at Freddy all the way home... and he wouldn't have it any other way...  
  
((Okay- cheesy ending- I told you! But that's okay! Please continue to read and review! Thanks everyone!! *teary smiles*)) 


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